Deltona Property Tax Rate To Fall Slightly

Jeff List, the county government's liaison to Deltona, said the Deltona Municipal Services District's special property tax will decline from 3.19 to 2.84 mills. One mill is a $1 tax on each $1,000 worth of taxable property.

The Volusia County Council on Thursday set the 2.84 mills as the cap for the Deltona MSD, which provides extra services to the 30,000-person community in southwest Volusia County. These services include garbage collection for every resident and extra deputy sheriffs.

The 2.84 millage is the rollback rate for the MSD, which is the millage required to generate the same amount of money next year as in this year's budget. The rollback rate generally is lower than the previous year because property assessments usually increase. Because of those higher assessments, some residents may see higher tax bills despite the lower tax rate.

This year, 3.19 mills was budgeted to generate $1.17 million, but it actually brought in nearly $1.33 million because nearly everyone in Deltona paid his or her taxes, List said. This extra money will be carried over to the 1985-86 budget. To generate $1.17 million this year, the county will only need to set property taxes at 2.84 mills because of a nearly 10 percent increase in property assesments.

The $1.17 million plus the extra money carried over from this year's budget will allow the MSD board to lower the property tax rate and pay for everything it wants, List said.

The Deltona MSD board will meet Aug. 7 to review the budget and again in September before forwarding its recommendation to the county council, List said. The board is an advisory body and only can make recom- mendations.

John Hall, an MSD board member, said he expects the board will be ''delighted'' at the prospect of lowering tax rates.

''Having growth pay for itself is how it ought to work. Heck, it's the best news we've had lately,'' Hall said.

He said the board may even lower the millage below the county's cap, especially if members think their planned $217,078 contribution to the sheriff's department for extra service is not worth it. A sheriff's officer is due to address the board at its August meeting to explain how the community's extra contribution to law enforcement is spent.